Saving Humanity
by Midnightdays
Summary: When the Dixons are forced to help a girl held captive by another group everything about the end of the world changes because the girl that shouldn't have made it this long has. Believing herself to be worth of nothing if not pain she still tries to preserve the groups humanity because in her mind that's all they have left.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **( 2 weeks before the pilot episode, about 2 months post start of the end. Here Florida fell before Georgia so it's more like 3 months for my main OC)**

I had gotten Emmy bandaged and dressed this morning and she was more uncooperative than usual so I took a quick walk into the woods in the guise of looking for berries to let myself calm down before going back to her. Sometimes she made me mad but she always gave up food for me, gave up a coat for me, and she always took my beatings so if coddling her is what was going to be pay back then that's what I would do. She lost a lot at the hands of these idiots and I get that I do. I was so in thought I didn't realize that Merle freaking Dixon was in front of me armed with a gun, his brother behind him pointing a crossbow at me as well.

"Paul Thurston. That you?" Merle asked as he lowered his weapon a bit. Today may or may not be the luckiest day in this girls life.

"Keep your voice down, I'm not that far from camp," I snapped. Glancing around me to make sure Frank or Tom hadn't followed me here.

"Ya don't want yer camp to hear ya?" Daryl asked from behind Merle.

"You owe me from the army remember Merle," I answer looking at Merle.

"Owe ya my life two times o'er," Merle answered.

"I'm calling in that favor now. This group, they into some sick shit and I've got to get that girl out of there. She kept me alive when they first took me, kept me alive since to the point of near death. You get her out of there with me, you keep her safe and alive, you repay that debt," I told him, panic starting to seep into my voice. Merle looked at me and just nodded.

"She . . . she isn't right in the head anymore, not dangerous but absent sometimes. They, they've really fucked her up but she's been getting a bit better lately. Needs a lot of help but I helped you Merle, and did a Daryl a small favor as well. Just help me take out the two guys left and I'll cover you guys while you get her out. You have to swear to me Merle that you'll take care of her as if she was your own."I finished and look waiting on Merle and Daryl to say something, anything.

"I told ya I owed ya. Wasting it on a girlie like this but it's ya favor. Why can't ya do nothing for 'er?" Merle replied. I nodded and just turned around and headed back to camp.

"They found me near death, still dying. She kept me alive so far, need to return the favor," I replied. "I got Addison's Disease after the attack from all the drugs they gave me, next time I get too stressed, get hurt I'll die. Meds for it hard to come by, hard to keep. There's only two of 'em at camp now. Maybe three if Tony came back as well. Don't scare her Merle, please."

That was the last thing I said before I slipped into camp and into our tent. Emmy just sat there while I threw all of her belongings into the two bags she had before packing a small bag full of meds and first aid supplies along with Emmy's herbal journal. I then put a boot on her fucked up foot, tied her shoe to her back pack and helped her into it. I rushed her out and told her to just sit when she started to question me but I used what she called my snappy voice that made her do as she was told most of the time. I got her all settled when Merle waltzed in and made a show of it. That's when he was jumped and a mess of things since there wasn't just three people but four. Daryl joined in but was blitzed by Tony and that's when the warrior girl I knew snapped in Emmy. She ran over and kicked out Tony's kneecap with her boot before grabbing his own knife from him, allowing Daryl to finish him off. I was busy grabbing food and guns for them to take back with them and by the time I was done they were done.

"They'll be mad, this one thinks they liked Tony," Emmy whispered as she grabbed at my shirt.

"What did I tell you about speaking in the third person?" I questioned.

"Not to when they can't hear," Emmy replied glancing back at Daryl and Merle clutching Tony's knife in her hands.

"Exactly. And you won't get in trouble. Honey, it's long past time you left. I'm going to have a nice conversation with Jason when he gets back so it's going to be all ok. You are going to go with my two friends here," I explained as I waved Merle and Daryl over.

"No. This one . . . I need to stay. You're still sick," Emmy said.

"Emmy, you're a smart girl. You know the Addison's isn't going to go away. I'm going to die soon. You've done a lot for me and now it's time I do something for you. Go on, say hi," I responded as I turned her around to face the Dixons. She started to look self conscious then since she was in a black sports bra and black shorts, a thin shirt pulled on to keep the sun of her shoulders. She just glanced at them and clutched the knife tighter.

"We gotta go soon," Daryl said as he tightened his grip on his crossbow. This made Emmy more nervous and she glanced around the camp site.

" I have three bags for her here. Some of her shit, some meds, a book on herbology that'll be helpful, packed some ammo and guns, even some food in that pick-up truck there. That'll be enough for you to make sure any group your in accepts her." I got closer to Merle with this one. "And some meds to keep her calm in the glovebox, she'll need them for the first few days. They are not for you."

"This one won't leave without Paul. Paul is this one's responsibility, this one made a promise," Emmy started as Daryl started loading some more shit into the truck. She really got into it then and then a gunshot wrung out and I felt a pain in my side. Now she really started screaming, pulling at her hair while Merle wrenched the knife out of her hand when she started swinging. Now he was pulling her away with angry mutters that he was going to turn back around and get me when she was safe in the truck. She still didn't stop struggling screaming that I had to go in first, that I was more important. I was going to call out to her when she banged her head against the door to the car and knocked herself out. Merle turned around to look at me and I waved a gun and sprayed some fire in the direction the bullet came from before shouting at him to keep this promise. They drove away then and I blacked out from blood loss.

 **Hey! So I know this seems a bit out of character for Merle and Daryl but I liked the believe that Merle is a man of his word and since he owes Paul he'll keep it. Also I like the believe they wouldn't leave a women near death somewhere no matter what comments Merle might make. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

I was lying on something soft, softer then what I was used to since I gave my cot to Paul. I groaned and opened to my eye to find that I was in some sort of metal building. I frowned, remembering a bit of yesterday, why my head hurt so much, and then realized that I didn't see the two guys pull Paul into the truck; the truck that could barely fit three people. I bolted upright, scanning for Paul in the room I was in, ignoring the dizziness and pain that flared each and every time I moved, and grabbed a pair of scissors that were laying on a small table near the bed I was on. I stood up, keeping my bad leg behind me since the boot made a good tool for when you wanted to kick at someone before I noticed someone had taken my right shoe off. Jason did that at first, kept me near camp since I wasn't going to go running off into the woods with no shoes on. I made it out of the room before a door flew open and a women with long brown hair stepped in and I realized I was in a RV. I held the scissors up and the woman held her arms up.

"Hi, I was just coming in to check up on you. How are you feeling now? Merle said you hit your head pretty hard the other day," The woman said with her hands still up.

"Where's Paul? What did you do with Paul?" I asked, not even realizing I was shouting until a man with dark curly hair came in and pushed himself in front of her when he saw the scissors in my hand.

"Why don't we calm down now," the man said as he got closer to me. I snarled and danced out of reach awkwardly, swiping at him with the scissors.

"This one needs to know where Paul is!" Part of me knew what Paul would say, that me panicking wasn't going to get anything done, that I needed to stay calm and ask nicely to get what I wanted but part of me couldn't control myself. I needed to know that I didn't fail Paul, that I didn't kill someone else. I barreled into the man, using my boot as extra weight to get him out of the way, throwing an elbow to where I thought his face was but I was wrong; he grabbed the arm that had the scissors and yanked them out of my hands before pushing me away. I stumbled, tripping over the boot before I scrambled to get myself upright. The man backed away again to try and put the scissor out of my reach when I saw an opening; I took it, leaping though the narrow walkway before falling down the stairs. I heard shouting from the RV and I went running through camp, where I could see the least amount of tents. I turned to look behind me, surprised that the black haired man had stopped running, there was an old man on the roof of the RV who was still shouting for me to stop. I wasn't looking where I was going and ran straight into someone who just grabbed me.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I have your shoe if you want it," I calmed down a bit because that voice sounded a bit like Paul. I tried to turn around but he wouldn't let me, just kept walking me back towards the RV. Now I started panicking again, kicking out at anything that was within reach when I heard the woman from before come back with someone with the far side of camp.

"Let 'er go," a gruff voice snapped and who ever was holding me slowly let me go before taking a step back. I looked up, still tugging at my hair a bit, and saw the younger man from yesterday. "Hey now girl, take a deep breath an' stop yer shoutin."

I noticed his crossbow was held in his hand and started glancing around again. When he noticed the panic expression on my face, he just dropped it to the ground. He looked calm, real calm and I slowly took a deep breath and nodded my head; a silent measure that I was done screaming for now.

"Ya can't go 'round running with no shoes on. Glenn said he had 'em, go on an' git 'em and we'll go talk to Merle about Paul," the man said as he gestured behind me to the asian guy that sounded a tad bit like Paul. I frowned and started shaking my head.

"This one needs to find Paul now. Paul is more important then feet," I muttered, looking down at the ground, scared I was going to get hit.

"Ya need yer shoe, go on now. Glenn will show ya were it is. Shoe, then Merle, no other way," Crossbow man said. I liked him, he was tough and calm, I liked calm. Paul was always calm. I frowned, thought about arguing with him but then Glenn must have grabbed my arm and I yelped, blindly swinging my elbow back while I spun around. Glenn backed up a bit and just held a hand out for me. I turned around to look at crossbow man and he just nodded towards Glenn. I didn't take Glenn's hand but I took a step towards him, Glenn seemed calm too but not as calm as crossbow man. Glenn smiled at me and showed me the truck from _their_ campsite before pulling my shoe out of the trunk.

"Do you need help sitting down or something?" Glenn asked but I just shook my head no and did a little balance jib to slip my foot in. I frowned and shook my head, inching my way back to crossbow man. When I got there he nodded in approval and indicated with his head that I should follow him.

"Is Paul with Merle?" I whispered as I followed him towards the two tents.

"Merle will tell ya" He grunted and I continued following him. We got there and I was told to stay while Crossbow man went into the tent and emerged with Merle.

"Where is Paul? This one was told that you knew where Paul is," I muttered looking at the ground but taking a lot of glances around me. I noticed the rest of the group coming closer and that Merle started to look a bit mad. Not mad, mad but like how Tony was when I found him the mushrooms that make you high.

"Listen 'ere sugar tits, I know yer were close with Paul but he stayed back so you could leave. Ya know that, went back for 'im but he didn't make it. I owe 'im one so I got ya out, took ya to place were yer good," Merle said, his snappy voice wasn't like Paul's. This one was like my mom's after she went through a bottle or two of wine. I whimpered and brought a hand out to wipe a stray tear but I know Jason didn't like it when I cried, always said he would give me something to cry about.

"You're lying! Paul told this one you would take us both and that you're a man of his word. Paul would never lie to . . . to. . . he would never . . . this one has to go back. . . this one. . . can't leave Paul behind. . . you can never leave one of your men behind. . ." I knew I was going into one. Paul helped me learn when I was getting started but I was too far gone already, shoving Merle in the chest when he mentioned staying at camp, what Paul would want. Crossbow man started coming towards me, weapon down again, hands up, and I could tell he was saying something but I couldn't hear him, couldn't hear Merle shouting at me either. I was just panicking, yanking on my hair, spinning around trying to find a way to get to Paul, to get back to Paul. I took a wild leap backwards when Merle reached out to me swearing when all of a sudden Crossbow man was yanking my arm towards him and moving me away. Somehow in that struggle I wound up with my arms wrapped around my self and him holding onto my forearms pulling me close and down to the ground so that I was kneeling but leaning back into his chest, sobbing hysterically at this point.

"Yer alright, yer good, absolutely fine," Crossbow man muttered into my ear, the same three phrases over and over again. Now that the panic was subsiding I was starting to listen to the calm man, calm I like calm. Now I realized I was screwed when I started seal coughing, large hacking measures of air as I tried to bend over while throwing my head back.

"Now what's sugar tits problem?" Merle drawled as he came out of the tent. I don't even know when he went in but now he had a small canteen of water in his hand.

"It could be asthma? Does she have an inhaler in her bag? I can go check," the old man from before said running back to the truck. Crossbow man was just reminding me to breath for a bit and only asked if he could let me go when I started wiggling around a bit, uncomfortable with someone touching me. I nodded again and he let go of my wrists, and inched back just a bit but stayed close. I shifted position so that I was clutching my knees to my chest and just kept coughing, breathing like my doctors told me before the world went ass up. The old man came back with my bag and I slowly reached a hand out to the side compartment, yanked out my inhaler, and took two puffs. Slowly the coughing subsided until I was just wheezing a bit. Merle now came closer with the canteen held out to me.

"Ya gotta be thirsty after all that screaming and crying sugar tits," Merle said as he gestured with the canteen again. I shook my head no, I didn't want to _do_ anything right now, I wanted to be left alone until I can go find my own water.

"Go on, it's just water and you have to be thirsty," The old man said and I decided that I liked him too, he was calm too.

"This-this one doesn't want . . . what do-" I was cut off sharply when Merle scowled at me.

"Cut the blabbering," He snapped.

"What-what do you want for it?" I asked quickly and quietly. I was going to get in so much trouble now and I quickly scrambled away a bit so that I could keep my eye on Crossbow man who now looked a bit less calm and more calculating.

"What do ya mean, want for it? It's water, got plenty of it. Ya need to drink," Crossbow man asked. I shook my head no again and glanced at all the other people around me. It was too much, too crowded.

"Baby brother asked ya a question, sugar tits. Don't like to ask twice," Merle commented. The old man was not only calm, but he understood because he made everyone else walk away and I felt myself get a wee bit less tense.

"They always made this one do something if Paul or this one needed anything," I stuttered out, now terrified that I was going to wind up in trouble.

"Whatta ya mean do something?" This time Merle asked the question and I started getting antsy again.

"Depends on what Paul needed. . . lot's of things but sometimes. . . sometimes they just took it all at night. Said-said this one would keep them warm at night, have a little fun, this one-this one didn't-this one didn't want too," At this point I was crying again and Crossbow man looked angry and he stormed off with a fucking bastards whispered under his breath but I heard it and yelped before looking up to Merle. Merle looked real mad now and the panic was starting to bubble up but now Glenn was back taking the canteen from Merle and slowly walking towards me before kneeling down. Glenn was calm and I liked it even if I couldn't make eye contact to show it.

"Come on just drink some water, you were uhh really good about doing what we wanted and putting a shoe on. Hmm, that sound good?" Glenn said softly as he held the canteen out to me.

"Promise?" I asked as my hand was half way stretched out. Glenn nodded and my hand darted forward to take it.

"Drink it all sugar tits," Merle commented as he watched me drinking. He just nodded when he saw me looking at him and didn't stop staring at me until I finished. I didn't know what to do and just sat there on the ground, all curled up around myself until I started feeling dizzy and that anxious sick feeling I would get whenever Paul would give me meds to make me fall asleep creeped up and I knew, I knew that he drugged me.

"You-you-" I scowled trying to make sensible words form in my head but the lack of food over the past few days and the excitement of today made me had me passing out sooner then usual. I was barely asleep when I felt someone move to pick me up and then I heard Glenn.

" Lori wanted to talk to us, about her scars, what we think happened to her. Shane thinks she's dangerous after her panic attack. Might want to convince him otherwise."

Unknown POV ***

Shane watched Daryl carry the girl back into the RV where Dale was going to check on her during the night. Apparently they were worried since she hit her head pretty good the other day and had a bruised rib. I was so angry that those no good rednecks just decided they could take a random girl back to camp, one that clearly had issues, no matter how many supplies she came with.

"She can't stay," Shane said as soon as most of the camp had gathered around the fire in front of the RV. For the first time since the start of it all Merle and Daryl were there as well, in the back just frowning and glaring at everyone.

"What do you mean? Have you seen the state of her?" Dale asked, unnerved that someone would be so crass as to disregard someone that so clearly needed help.

"Did you see the same girl that I did today? She clearly has some problem and now isn't the time for coddling," Shane snapped.

"How about you wake up in a strange place without your friend and see how you react!" Glenn yelled causing everyone to look at him. In turn this made him sheepish and he turned red and stared at the ground.

"Don't think ya have much choice," Merle commented from behind everyone. Shane turned and glared at him.

"This is a group descion, not a half-cocked red neck one. We need to ensure GROUP survival," Shane snapped, angry that his authority was being questioned.

"Girl might as well be a Dixon now. I'm a man of my word," Merle replied and then just walked away.

"Well I'm pretty sure that settles it. Even if you don't like the girl if you make her leave then the Dixons will leave. Plus, she came with all of that food and supplies," Amy commented as she grabbed a spare blanket and entered the RV.

 **Hey! So again I'm kind of showing how Shane doesn't really like being challenged. Again I'm stressing that the Dixons only care about Emmy because of the promise Merle made to Paul cause I have a feeling that they are "men of their words" and military buddies tend to stick together anyway. Anyway, please leave reviews so I know what ya'll think.**


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up a mess, still exhausted and out of it to find myself back in the RV on the bed. I tried to get up but a blurry figure that sounded like the old man told me I needed to rest and someone gently pushed me back down. After that I must have woken up hours later since the sun was now out like it was morning. I rolled out of bed and saw that my right shoe was waiting for me. I tugged it on and buttoned up the thin long sleeved shirt I had worn the other day and made my way outside, noticing that all the sharp objects were removed from the RV. I took two deep breaths and decided to leave the RV; back with James I was allowed to leave my tent unless told otherwise. As soon as I got outside the long haired woman came up to me smiling with her hands up, I frowned at her but didn't do anything. After a quick glance around I could see three children playing and the angry dark haired man from the other day glaring at me.

"Hi there. You missed breakfast but I can get you something if you're hungry," she said softly. I shook my head no quickly and backed up a bit, bumping into the RV itself. "Ok, then. My name is Lori, you need anything just ask."

I just stood there for a minute until the old man asked if I wanted to join him up on top of the RV. It sounded like a question but James sometimes asked me to do things that he was really ordering me to do so I climbed the up the ladder and sat down far away enough to make a quick escape if need be.

"I'm Dale." He said but I didn't say anything, just nodded to show that I heard him. "Do you have a name I can call you by?" I panicked, was this a trick question? I wasn't allowed to say my name, it made me seem like I was a person and James would be adamant to make sure that wasn't true. I spent the morning listening to Dale tell me stories, giggling at a funny one, and nodding frequently to show him I was listening. At lunch Lori called me down and tried to give me food which almost caused another meltdown if Glenn hadn't calmly intervened.

"You want to know what we want right?" Glenn asked after he shooed people away. I nodded, relieved that slightly less calm man was talking to me, that he understood the rules. "Ok, well I would really like to know your name. Would that be ok for some food?" I frowned but by all means it was within the rules and so I nodded.

"T-t-this one is also called Emmy," I muttered while staring at the ground. I glanced up to see Glenn smiling and it was a relief to know that I followed the rules. I was given a sandwich but balked at it. Why where they wasting this food on me? Dale stepped up this time and asked if I wanted to split it with him and I nodded my head so fast I thought I would give myself whiplash. I then sat next to Glenn when he patted the log next to him and smiled at me. Lunch went by slowly since I kept offering pieces of my sandwich to Glenn who would only shake his head at me and smile sadly. When I finally finished he stood up before holding out a hand for me. I stood up on my own and stared down at the ground again, waiting to be told what to do.

"Do you want to go up with Dale again Emmy?" Glenn asked and my head shot up in shock at the use of my name. "Is it ok that I use your name?"

"This-this one . . . this one is … most of the time they refer to this one as girl. This one's old name is only used when in trouble or. . . or by P-p-paul," I tired to answer the minefield question gracefuly but at the mention of Paul I started crying again but it was more of a whimper cry then anything else.

"Ok. But I like calling you Emmy, can I do that?" I nodded and Glenn continued speaking. "Do you want to help me sort some of the supplies that you came with? I could really use the help." I nodded again and quickly followed Glenn to the truck where I was told to put anything I wanted to keep to my right and everything that the camp could use on the left. At the end of an hour of sifting I had literally on taken my other shoe off my back pack and stepped back from the truck. Glenn sighed and then turned around to me. I don't understand what happened, he was telling me funny stories and one was so funny I laughed out loud which earned me a smile.

"Emmy, I know that back pack has clothes so that yours right?" Glenn said as he tried to get me to make eye contact. He sighed and noticed that there was some sign of life from the Dixon camp and made sure to make a lot of noise on the way there after leaving me with Dale again. About a few hours later, and right before dinner, the crossbow man came stomping up to camp to whistle at me. I frowned and tried to push any anger back and look at him, or the area around him.

"Come on down now. Ain't got all day," He grunted. I shoot up like an arrow and all but leaped off the top of the RV before standing just out of arms reach from him. He had his crossbow strapped to his back but it was in a position that would be hard to get to.

"Now Glenn told me that you won't tell 'em what is your shit. Come on girl, yer going to tell me now. Don't waste my time now." He was kind of mad this time and I don't know what I did so I made sure to stay out of arms reach the whole way to the truck and even while we were there; quickly darting a hand out to grab my backpack before following him to a medium sized tent where I had freaked out at the other day and told to leave my bag inside. When he saw that Merle wasn't there he sighed and looked at me to find me practically cowering there.

"Ya did good today girl. I have special shit your supposed to drink tonight, yer going to add it to your canteen of water and have it with dinner. I'm heading out hunting tonight with Merle, be gone a few days. Yer to sleep in this tent and not rummage through our things; Glenn and Dale will look out for ya while we're gone. You understand?" Crossbowman now put out the small fire in front of the tent and then pointed to a third sleeping bag that was lying there and seemed cleaner then the rest. I nodded at him again when he seemed to be looking at me.

"Tell me what ya understand," Crossbowman said as he started to notice my nervous glances all around me. James sometimes made me do that to, tell him what I was supposed to do if I seemed too fidgety.

"This one is too sleep right there and not rummage though your things. Glenn and Dale will be in change of this one, and this one is to have the powder in my water at dinner." I had spoken the first part calmly but I realized that I didn't know what I was supposed to do for dinner and started wringing my hands and eyes started glancing around for escape routes.

"I ain't gonna beat ya so stop cowering. What ya wanna ask?" He asked slightly mad again.

"What-what will this one have to do for dinner?" I muttered looking at the ground again. I heard an angry sigh and saw narrowed eyes to the main group.

"What did ya have to do for lunch?"

"This was asked her old name and she told it to Glenn."

"Didn't Paul tell ya not to refer to yourself as this one?" Crossbowman asked sharply to which I quickly nodded my head. "Well then, try it again. Quick now, I don't have all night."

"I . . . I was asked for my old name and I told it to Glenn." I spat out before glancing up to see Crossbowman nod at me slowly. Back to to the calm man I liked and scurried back to camp when he nodded his head in that direction. I didn't know that he watched me the whole way back, only leaving when Glenn found me a seat by the fire.

"Ok. For dinner I was thinking that I would like you to tell me how old you are. Is that ok?" Glenn asked as he watched me from the corner of his eyes with his hand holding a small plate for me.

"This one. . . I?. . . " I trailed off but noticed Glenn's smile when I said 'I' and so I continued with that speech pattern; at least with Glenn and Crossbowman. "I should be around 24." As soon as the sentence left my mouth I was given a glass of water and a plate. The whole dinner was spent with me figuring out who needed my food more that I did. I noticed one of the kids from earlier today sitting close to me and so I discreetly tried to give him some more of my food. He sat up and looked at the brown haired woman, no Lori, who looked at me and then Glenn.

"Honey, why don't you want to eat dinner. You . . . uh . . you earned it," She said with quick glances to Glenn who was nodding to her. They wanted to play the same game me and Paul and everyone else always played.

"This one. . . I'm not hungry," I muttered and jerked the plate at the young boy who took it after his mom nodded at him. I discreetly glanced at what the packet was and saw that it was gatorade instant powder. I frowned and hid it in my shirt pocket since I knew others might need it more than me one day. I spent the rest of dinner drinking water and laughing at Glenn's funny stories before Lori took me to the RV to show me the bathroom and to allow me some privacy to change. When I came out I was walked back to the tent by Glenn and asked if I needed anything. I was tired and didn't feel like doing anything so I quickly shook my head no and then proceeded to sit on my sleeping bag with the tent door open, watching where Glenn went. An hour later I went up there and sat outside the tent, I always had first watch with Paul to keep people from trying to get him to do anything once it was nighttime. I had sat there for a few hours when Dale woke up and called me to join him on top of the RV as he took watch.

"Why aren't you sleeping? Is Daryl and Merle's tent to far away?" Dale asked after I climbed up. I shook my head no and then curled into myself. "Well then why aren't you sleeping?"

"This one. . . I always take first want watch with Paul. I also get nightmares and those are bad cause I wake them up and they get angry," I whispered to Dale. Something told me that Dale didn't care for the rules and that he just liked to know things so that he could understand better.

The two days that passed were pretty uneventful; I helped cook breakfast every morning, picked berries around the camp perimeter until lunch, ate something small with Glenn before Jim or Dale would spend an hour teaching me about mechanics. Then I was free to join Dale on watch until dinner which would involve me hiding the powder again and picking at food until I could give it to Carl, which was the young boys name. He spoke to me now, always saying thank you while I flinched.

This morning I woke up to find out that Carol had taken my clothes for laundry day and that I hadn't known. I left the packets in my shirt pocket and I didn't know how much trouble I would be in if they found out. I debated running down there to tell them why I hadn't been taking them but Glenn called me over to let me know that he was going on a run in a few days. This started a brink of a panic attack but Glenn quickly calmed me down and sent me to sit with Dale and read for the rest of the day. Since I didn't pick the berries today I refused to come down for lunch, to the point where I was almost in tears from being so bad but eating without work was against the rules and I couldn't do it. Right after lunch, Daryl and Merle returned and they seemed angry to find me sitting up on the RV so I leaped down but stayed outside of arms reach.

"Aren't ya supposed to be resting sugar tits? Yer pretty bruised up," Merle snapped as he threw two rabbits at always bitter at me Shane. Also no one had told me I was supposed to be resting, in fact besides Glenn and Dale everyone kind of ignored me. Well, this blond girl named Amy always chatted with me a bit in the morning and she seemed nice took me on a camp wide tour and shit the first day I was actually awake. I had been spending a long time just sitting with Dale, listening to his stories, and braiding some string into the shape of a bracelet. It was all dark colors since I was going to try and use it as a thank you for Merle for helping me out though he didn't much seem the bracelet type, it would work fine as a key chain for motorcycle keys.

"She sits up there out of our way and it works fine. I shouldn't complain, she don't eat, don't speak, and dosen't really dwindle supplies. She can stay if your worried Dixons," Shane joked quietly when everyone was out of ear shot. I blushed and looked down at the ground. I don't think Shane liked me, Merle, or Daryl too much but from what I can hear his dislike for the two brothers was much more than his dislike for me.

"You haven't been feeding 'er?" Merle growled. I heard footsteps and Glenn was suddenly there but he seemed to be staying behind Shane.

"She doesn't eat much. Only wants to eat a bit of lunch. We let her eat and try to follow the rules to keep her calm. No need to get mad at Shane," Glenn said quickly. Now Merle turned to glare at me and I all but ran away with my tail between my legs. Now Lori was coming with the past three days worth of packets in her hand which caught Daryl's eye as he nudged Merle.

"Honey, have you been hiding these? I thought you drinking them?" Lori asked and now I was really starting to panic. They were mad at me about the food and now the powder and apparently the RV. I didn't know what these people wanted from me and it was all starting to be a bit much, maybe I would be better off if I grabbed my bow and just ran off into the woods.

"I thought you told 'er to take 'em," Merle snapped at Daryl. At this point I also assumed that Merle thought just looking at me would make me cry because he was leaving Daryl to clean up the emotions. Daryl narrowed his eyes at me and walked forward until I was backed into the RV. This was not the calm man I liked being around. He was very close, looked very angry, and seemed to be taking up a lot of my personal space.

"What did I tell ya to do before we left?" Daryl asked. I started glancing around looking for a way out, not liking the crowd that was forming even though Dale had ushered a few people away. "Look at me when I talk to ya."

"This. . . I was to take the packets," I muttered as I focused on his mouth. That was him but not his eyes, you can never look someone in the eyes. It seemed to be good enough for him since he didn't mention it after I answered him.

"And ya didn't take them right?" This was Merle asking.

"N-no."

"Why not?" Merle asked from behind Daryl and by now I was in tears sure I was going to get a beating for this. My ribs were still way to soar for anything and I was hoping they would start on my back.

"This one. . . I wanted to save them in case someone needed them," I spat out in between tears as my gaze now dropped to Daryl's chest.

"Ya need them. Yer not to go up the RV tomorrow at all, if ya behave tomorrow we'll see about letting ya go back up there. Don't need ya fainting and falling off the damm thing," Merle grunted as he grabbed the packets out of Lori's hand and gave me a jerkish point towards his camp. I quietly walked over there and sat down on the ground while it looked like they discussed more things though Glenn would shoot glances my way to make sure I was still there.

"Ya couldn't do the simple task of making sure she ate! We feed ya'll, least ya can do is feed the girl!" Merle was shouting now and I dissolved into a right state of tears and crying before running back and jumping in front of him. Telling him, no begging him, to punish me instead, not to hurt them which stopped Daryl's angry look and even caused Merle to take a step back. Well actually both of them looked pretty mad but not mad at me mad, just mad. It was Glenn ushering me aside that stopped a full blown fit from happening even though I was already yanking at my hair.

"Hey no Emmy, no one's going to get hurt. We just messed up in making sure you're healthy. It's not your fault so no one is mad at you at all. Let's go get you in the tent and tonight I'll take first watch. My treat, ok?" Glenn mummers as he leads me back to the tent and watches as I get in. An hour later I hear Merle and Daryl walk back up, complaining about how much they talked to the group today.

"What are ya doing 'ere Chinaman?" Merle grunted.

"Emmy always sits outside of my tent for a few hours every night. Apparently she would do it with Paul so that the others would make use of her instead of him, or so she told Dale. I figured she would be more comfortable sleeping if I did the same. I'll leave," Glenn stammered out as he all but ran away. I heard a snort and quickly curled in on myself to make myself smaller and pretend that I was sleeping. They sat out there a bit longer, whispering to each other and I had dozed off when someone entered the tent and laid down on the sleeping bag that meet my head.

"I know ya aint sleeping girl so ya best get to it. I can get ya a pill tomorrow but ya look like a fucking walker with those bags," Daryl whispered and I froze. He would be mad if I woke him, I turned over and started at his head before whispering back.

"I . . . nightmares. . . they never liked it."

"Well I ain't them."

 **Again, I needed to tweak with character traits a bit and I know Shane seems a bit like Crazy Shane but I'm trying to stress how much he doesn't like the Dixons and anyone affiliated with him. Because Emmy doesn't talk to him and only a select few people (** **i.e. Glenn, Daryl, Merle, Dale, and Amy [in order of how much she actually talks to them]) he resents her since she automatically isn't really following his authority. Of course he's going to get a bit worse once Rick comes back! Also please leave reviews so I know what ya'll think even if you just tell me the story is a piece of shit, I would like to know what ya'll think!**


End file.
